My Heart to Joy at the Same Tone
by karma-chan
Summary: Heroic Legend of Arislan - Arslan Senki story. Shonen-ai. Narcasse & Darun. Story of their friendship from childhood until three years before the anime.
1. In Childhood's Hour

**Chapter 1: In Childhood's Hour**

by Karma

Ekubatana, The Palsian Year 300.

The day was bright and sunny in the Ekubatana Royal Gardens, where the nobles often spent their leisurely hours. The garden spanned several acres, and was filled with exotic flora, various statues, and countless areas where children could play and be left to themselves.

Accordingly, two eight-year-old boys started to fight. They were both of equal height, though the one with brown hair was much skinnier, almost sickly thin.

"You take that back!"

"I won't!"

A circle of boys formed to watch as the fight became physical. They clapped and cheered.

"Go, go, go!"

"Ohh, that's gotta hurt!"

The cheering excited Darun, as he punched his opponent again. It was like everyone wanted him to win, and it made him feel quite righteous in his act. He threw another punch at the other boy, made contact, and laughed. /That/ was what anyone who called him "stupid" got in turn.

"Go Darun! Beat the crap outta him!"

Darun knew everyone wanted him to win. No one liked Narcasse. He was new but he acted like he knew everything already. He called people mean things, and Darun never forgave anyone who called him stupid.

His next blow caused the other boy to fall to the ground. Unrelenting, Darun tackled him onto the ground and climbed on top of him.

"Give up?"

Narcasse growled at him.

"Do you take back what you said?"

Narcasse glared at him. "No! You're so stupid that you can only fight me with your fists!"

Darun hit Narcasse's face. "I'm not stupid! YOU'RE the one who's stupid! You pick fights with people that you can't win! No one likes you!"

Though Darun did not notice that the crowd had stopped cheering, he did notice that Narcasse was no longer looking at him, but past him.

Something grabbed him and pulled him off of Narcasse. He struggled, and then turned around to see his Uncle Vaphreze, who did not look pleased.

"I...uh...uh oh."

"How many times do I have to tell you to leave Narcasse alone?" Vaphreze demanded.

Darun winced at the tone in his uncle's voice. Wasn't his punishment enough? He had already been grounded for a week, and his bottom still hurt from being spanked. "I'm sorry, Uncle! I won't do it again, I promise!"

Vaphreze shook his head, and the disappointment in his voice hurt more than anything else. "You said that after your last fight with him. He's only been here for a month, and you've already fought with him twice. TWICE, Darun."

"But no one likes him! He makes everyone mad at him! Pastm's fought with him three times already!"

"I don't care how many times Pastm's fought with him. I'm in charge of how many times YOU'VE fought with him. Do you know how embarrassing it is to go to the Royal Historian and apologize for my nephew hitting his ward? If your parents were alive, they'd be very disappointed in you!"

"I'm sorry!" Darun started to cry.

After a pause, Vaphreze pulled his nephew into his lap and hugged him. "Darun," he said, this time his voice gentler, "Remember what I said before about crying?"

Darun hiccupped. "Boys don't cry?"

"Boys don't cry," Vaphreze agreed. He wiped away the boy's tears. "Now, tomorrow, Lord Cheiron and Narcasse will come over for lunch. You're going to apologize to Narcasse, understand?" He waited until the little boy nodded. "Good."

The Royal Historian, Cheiron, and his ward and successor, Narcasse, visited them the next day.

At the beginning of the meal, Vaphreze turned to his nephew. "I believe you have something to say to Narcasse."

Darun stood up and bent his head. "I'm sorry, Narcasse." He wasn't, but his uncle would want no less. His uncle nodded in approval, apologized for his nephew's behavior, and then they started to eat.

Both Cheiron and Vaphreze spoke civilly to each other over the simple meal. Darun and Narcasse glared at each other across the table and said nothing. Darun noted with satisfaction that he had given Narcasse a very visible black eye.

"I am worried about Narcasse," Cheiron confessed. "He doesn't seem to be getting along with the other boys as well as I would like him to. This is the tenth fight he has been involved in since he had first come here." He looked over at his ward, who has silent. Cheiron reached over and patted him on the head.

"Tenth fight?" Vaphreze was surprised.

"The other boys pick on him a lot," Cheiron said, glancing at Darun. Darun said nothing, and poked at his bread with a fork instead.

"Well, I have an idea," Vaphreze said. He looked over at Darun. "Darun, what have I taught you is the single most important quality of a general?"

"Loyalty," Darun replied softly.

"Correct, loyalty. Loyalty to your king, to the men that you lead, and to your country. Loyalty is more important than bravery or strength. Are you loyal to me, Darun?"

Darun nodded.

"Then prove it. For one week, I want you to protect Narcasse. You will not attack other people, but rather, you will defend him. You will stay by his side and make sure that he does not get into any more fights."

"But"

"Just for one week, Darun."

Darun stared at his uncle, stared at Narcasse, and then stared at his plate.

Narcasse spoke. "I don't need anyone protecting me," he told Cheiron. "I can take care of myself."

Cheiron ignored him. "Thank you, General Vaphreze."

The one-week of protection started and Darun followed Narcasse around.

"Don't follow me," Narcasse said irritably. "You know you don't want to, and I don't want you to, so leave me alone."

Darun glared at him. "I don't want to, but I have to. You heard what my uncle said."

Narcasse gave him a funny look. "And you're going to listen? Loyalty can be bought as easily as anything else with enough gold."

Darun clenched his fists. He didn't understand quite what the other boy was saying, though the tone told him enough. "I'm loyal. I'm doing this just for my uncle, not for you."

"I know that already," Narcasse said haughtily. "I'm doing this just for my uncle," he mimicked in a high-pitch voice. "I'm such a goody-good, I do everything that my uncle says. I'm like a little dog."

Darun glared at him. "I hate you," he said. "I hope the black-eye I gave you hurts, you freak."

Narcasse glared at him as well. "Well I hate you too. Why don't you go running along now and leave me alone. Go run back to your uncle."

Darun ignored his comments and continued to follow him. Narcasse started to walk again, and then he stopped.

"Why are you still following me?"

"I told you why."

Narcasse gave him a look of disbelief. Then he started to run. Darun chased after him.

They ran for a few minutes before Narcasse stopped suddenly. "Hey Kharlan!" he shouted. "You're as stupid today as you were yesterday!"

Kharlan, a larger boy of twelve, was talking to a group of boys. Upon hearing the insult, his face flushed and he turned to the speaker.

"Well if it isn't the new kid, Nark-ASS. What the hell do you want, kid?"

"Just trying to see if I can help you sharpen your wit by exercising it," Narcasse said.

Kharlan blinked. Then his face turned a deeper shade of red. "I'm gonna kill you!" He charged at Narcasse.

Narcasse did not move, although surprise traveled across his face when Darun stepped in front of him.

"Kharlan, leave him alone," Darun said. "He's just being a jerk."

"Move out of the way, Darun. Why the hell are you with him anyway? Weren't you just fighting with him yesterday?"

"Yeah, well, my uncle told me to look out for him. So do me a favor and leave him alone, ok?"

Kharlan considered this.

Then Narcasse stuck his tongue out at him.

Kharlan roared and tried to punch Narcasse. Darun moved in the way. Kharlan shoved Darun aside and raised his fist to hit Narcasse, when Darun came running and shoved him back. His anger redirected, Kharlan pushed Narcasse aside and then attacked Darun.

Darun, though a brave boy, was no match for someone four years his senior. He soon found himself with his face to the grass, his nose itching, and a rain of blows descending upon him that seemed to continue forever.

"Kharlan, stop it."

The blows stopped.

"You've already beaten him up. Don't kill him," the new voice continued. "His uncle will be my general one day, you know."

"I'm sorry, Prince Hirumes."

Darun closed his eyes, feeling humiliated in front of the prince. Then he found he had trouble opening his eyes when the darkness came.

It was dark, and it was cold. It was hot. He whimpered. He heard voices, but he could not make out what they said.

Darun woke up in his bed. It hurt to move, so he laid on his bed and tried not to move.

His uncle was instantly beside him. Vaphreze brushed some of the hair out of his face. "Good job, Darun," he said. He put his arm around Darun's back and supported him up with it, while with his other hand he held a cup of water for him to drink.

When Darun finished, Vaphreze gently let him back down. He nodded at someone across from him, then he turned back to Darun. "Get some rest. If you need anything, ask Narcasse." And then Vaphreze left.

At hearing the other's name, Darun felt dread in his stomach. Reluctantly, he turned his head to look at the other person near him. Narcasse was sitting on a chair that was next to his bed. Darun considered telling him to go away, but he felt too tired to handle another argument. So he said nothing.

Finally, Narcasse spoke.

"Kharlan beat you up until Prince Hirumes told him to stop. Then you got sick."

Darun turned his face away. The last thing he wanted to hear was Narcasse making fun of him for losing the fight.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think you would...actually fight. I thought you would run away when you saw Kharlan and me fighting. I didn't think that you would actually listen to your uncle."

Darun looked at him again. "I told you I would, didn't I?" He was mad. "If you hadn't said that stuff to Kharlan, this wouldn't have happened."

"I know that NOW," Narcasse tried to explain. "But I didn't think you would actually stay and fight. No one else would."

Darun shrugged, and then winced from the movement. "My uncle asked me to. It wasn't for you."

Narcasse bit his lip. After a pause, he said, "I know. But I really am sorry. I take back what I said about you being stupid."

Darun eyed him warily, then decided that he was telling the truth. He relaxed.

"It's ok. I'm sorry I gave you that black-eye."

"It's ok."

There was a moment of silence.

Finally, Darun spoke. "Why do you talk so weird, Narcasse? You say stuff that no one else gets. Like what you said to Kharlan. I don't get it at all, and he didn't either. He just knew you were making fun of him."

"You didn't get it? You don't think anyone did?"

"Nope."

"Oh." Narcasse looked puzzled. Darun tried to help him.

"Like the first time you got into a fight here. With Pastm. He didn't know what you were talking about. He just thought you were making fun of him. And everybody likes him, so when you got into a fight with him, everyone hated you."

Narcasse looked surprised. "I said his throw was matchless."

"Right! Exactly. See?"

Narcasse frowned. "Matchless is a compliment."

"Oh." Darun thought about it. "He thought you were insulting him, once by saying the insult, then twice by saying a word he didn't get 'cuz then it would mean that he was too stupid to get it."

Narcasse said nothing.

"I mean, no one understood what you were saying," Darun said quickly, trying to defend Pastm. "And then when you frowned someone else told Pastm that you were makin' fun of him so he got mad."

"Oh."

"So you know, if you want to insult people, at least say stuff that people know. Like 'Your mother is so fat that farmers thought she was a cow.' Stuff like that."

Narcasse laughed. "I see. Like 'Your sister is so horrific that she makes beasts appear beautiful in comparison'?"

Darun laughed, though he did not understand all of it. "Better yet, 'Your mother is so hairy that people thought she was a bear.' "

Narcasse shook his head and then laughed. Then he grew somber. "I don't like insulting people's mothers. I don't have one." He looked at the ground. "Lord Cheiron picked me from the monastery because I could read and write better than the other orphans the monks were raising."

Darun was quiet. Finally, he said, "I don't have a mom either. Both my parents caught the plague when I was younger and Uncle Vaphreze has been raising me ever since."

There was a pause.

"You know, Darun, you're not half bad." Narcasse gave him a tentative smile.

Darun smiled back. "Thanks. Neither are you."

* * *

notes:

Beta ed by the awesome Shrenee! Thanks!

Apologies to RB if it sounded too similar to her own chibi fic. I didn't realize how similar they were until nine chapters later, otherwise I wouldn't have put in certain lines.

And yes, Narcasse speaks oddly for an 8-yr-old. he's one of those precocious kids. if he were around today he'd probably be one of those kids that are in med school by the age of 12.


	2. As Others Saw

**Chapter 2: As Others Saw**  
by Karma 

Ekubatana, the Palsian Year 304.

"Any news yet?"

"Nope."

Disappointed, Narcasse returned to the Palace library to study. Lord Cheiron had given him an assignment to complete regarding Kai Hoslo, the legendary hero, and the effect of his legend on the culture of Palse. Narcasse had yet to complete his assignment. His mind wandered instead. He bit his lip.

He tried to write, but he couldn't concentrate. Instead, he worried about Darun. If only he had been a few months older! Then he could have gone to battle with his friend. Twelve was the age when the men were first allowed to ride out with the army, but Narcasse was still a few months short of that age.

Then the news camethe army had come across a rebel faction and now they had been gone for more than two weeks.

Narcasse sighed when he read what he had written: "Darun could probably beat Kai Haslo if they were the same age."

He crossed out his words.

Narcasse leaned over the city gate walls and watched as the cavalry returned with the yellow flag raised in victory. Cheers erupted around him, but he kept his eyes on the men that were returning.

It was not King Osiris leading the army. It was Prince Andragoras. Narcasse frowned, but continued to watch as the men came after Andragoras. Only when he spotted Darun on horseback did he cheer as well. He waved frantically at his best friend, but Darun did not look up.

Disappointed but still relieved, he continued to watch the people return. Then he noticed that he was not alone.

To his right, a few steps away, Prince Hirumes leaned over and watched the returning group as well. Normally, he would have been out there with the army, however, he had injured his leg in a recent assassination attempt.

Narcasse watched him for a moment. He did not normally talk to the prince, even though they were close in age. Hirumes was only a year older than him and Darun.

"Good afternoon, Your Highness."

The Crowned Prince of Palse turned to look at him.

"I suppose it is."

Narcasse returned his gaze to the army and spotted Kharlan. /That/ was why he and the prince rarely talked. Prince Hirumes spent his time with a handful of close friends, of which included Kharlan, whom Narcasse never liked. He still remembered the scandal that erupted a little over two years ago, when Kharlan had impregnated a noblewoman's daughter. Kharlan had become a father at the age of fourteen, and his son, Zante, was now two years old.

"Do you wish that you were there with them?"

Narcasse blinked, surprised that the prince was speaking to him. "Who wouldn't, Your Highness? The chance to lay down your life for this beautiful country? It boils my blood with excitement!"

Hirumes gave him a puzzled expression and Narcasse cursed himself mentally. After Darun had told him about his 'weird' speech, he had made a conscious effort to talk more like his peers. He did this task for about a year, before giving up and continuing to speak at his current level. He should have tried to speak more 'normally' in front of the prince. He also had to remember that not everyone understood his sarcasm, and frankly, he was being too open with the prince. He always spoke too openly when he was nervous. "It would be an honor, Your Highness," he said, to correct himself.

Hirumes nodded.

They waited until the last of the men had safely returned, and then they went to greet them.

"Fate comes in both good and bad," Prince Andragoras announced, "And so likewise did our victories."

Narcasse pushed his way through the crowd that was listening to Andragoras' speech. He finally spotted Darun, and went to stand beside him.

"Hey. You're back."

Darun did not look at him. "Yeah."

Narcasse frowned but returned his attention to Andragoras' speech.

"We have crushed the rebel army!" Andragoras raised his arm, and on cue, those around him erupted into cheer. Narcasse clapped politely.

Andragoras motioned for silence. "But as when giving us a victory, the gods took something away. That was my older brother, King Osiris, who lost his life on the battlefield, and who will always be remembered as one of Palse's finest kings."

A moment of reverent silence. Then Andragoras continued.

"Prince Hirumes is not yet of age to rule, and so I will rule in his stead until then."

Narcasse followed Darun back to his room. "So how was it?"

Darun fumbled at his armor. "How was what?" His voice was low, and Narcasse grew alarmed when he noticed the bloodstains on the armor.

"How was your first battle as a true man?" Narcasse helped him unbuckle his armor and then held it as Darun shrugged out of it. He was careful not to touch the blood.

Darun kicked off his boots, which were caked with more blood and mud. Now barefoot and in his tunic, he sat down on his bed. Narcasse sat down next to him. He was suddenly very worried about his friend.

"What's wrong?"

Darun did not look at him. He folded his arms across his chest and stared at his feet. "Nothing."

Narcasse touched his friend's shoulder. It was trembling.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt? Do you need to have your injuries looked at?"

Darun shook his head. "I got hit a few times but nothing that went through my armor. But Pastm...Pastm wasn't careful and his head came off. I was there with him. There was so much blood." His voice began to crack. "And I cut so many people. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It's...it's...so easy to kill, Narcasse!"

The last part came out as a choke and then Darun was shaking. Narcasse pulled his arms around him and hugged him; the way Cheiron had always hugged him whenever he had cried in the past. Narcasse bit his lip. There was so much he wanted to say: that yes, it was easy to kill, it was easy to die, it was hard to live, but that was why life had value, and why it was worth living.

Instead Narcasse said nothing and waited until Darun stopped crying, all the while being careful to not look at either Darun's face or his tears. Darun was one of those people who believed that boys should not cry, and looking at him while he did so would only make him feel ashamed. Only when Darun stopped shaking did Narcasse let go.

"Don't tell my uncle I cried?"

" 'Course not."

1 month later

Heavy breaths and grunts intermixed with the sound of metals scraping against each other. Then, a declaration.

"I win," Darun said, pointing his sword at Narcasse.

Narcasse nodded, out of breath. "Can you get me something to drink? I'm so thirsty." He reached out his hand.

Darun pulled him up onto his feet and smiled at him. "Sure. Be right back."

Narcasse waited in the garden. He bent down and picked up his sword, then slashed it at an imaginary opponent. He liked practicing with Darun, although it was clear who was stronger. If Darun charged with full strength, he could easily knock Narcasse to the ground. Darun's upper torso strength was greater than Narcasse's. Still, there were some tricks he could pull that Darun often did not suspect, and with those, Narcasse would occasionally win.

He leaned against a tree and realized, with a start, that they were where they had fought four years ago, before they had become friends. And now Darun was his best friend. He was the best kind of a friend that anyone could ever have. After that incident, Darun had defended Narcasse repeatedly until everyone knew that to challenge Narcasse was to fight with Darun. Sometimes it irritated Narcasse, because it meant that he would actually have to watch his tongue to keep his friend out of trouble. It was annoying because he never asked for it, and because he could take care of himself. Narcasse was not helpless.

Other times, he was grateful for it. Darun really was the most loyal friend a person could have, and once he had it in his mind that you were his friend; it was almost impossible to change. It was touching.

He heard the screams before he noticed the smoke or the smell. He turned and was stunned by what he saw

The palace was on fire.

He first thought of Darun, then of Cheiron and the library. He dropped his sword and ran at full speed to where people were crowding around the castle. He shouted as he ran.

"DARUN! LORD CHEIRON!"

He spotted Lord Cheiron, and ran to his side. The Royal Historian looked relieved when he saw him, and he gave him a hug.

"Have you seen Darun?"

Lord Cheiron shook his head.

Narcasse pulled away, against the other's protest, and ran off. He ran through the crowd, screaming his friend's name. When he grew tired from running, he resorted to simply yelling. "DARUN!"

Someone touched his shoulder. Narcasse spun around. When he realized who it was, he leaned over and gave Darun a fierce hug.

"Hey," Darun said, his gaze back on the castle. He handed Narcasse a cup of water.

"What happened?"

"I got your water and then came out when I noticed the ashes falling. I looked up and then I saw the fire and I tried to go back in, but the guards wouldn't let me." Darun scowled at the castle, unhappy.

Narcasse gasped. "You tried to go BACK in! Why?"

Darun pointed to a part of the castle that was currently burning. "That's Prince Hirumes' room. I wanted to make sure he was okay." He looked worried. "I hope he's okay. If I had noticed sooner, I would've been able to run back in and look for him."

Narcasse bit his lip. His mind wandered on the various things he wanted to say to his friend: how worried he had felt when he thought that Darun might have gotten killed because of him, how stupid Darun was to want to go back, how glad he was that Darun wasn't able to, how idiotic it was to be so willing to throw away your life for a family that couldn't care less about you, how he wished Darun wasn't so damn noble and loyal because it could get him killed one day. When he finally spoke, his voice shook slightly. "Loyalty to the Royal Family?"

Darun looked at him, puzzled. "Of course."

Narcasse drank his water, which tasted awful because it was full of ashes. Evidently, Darun had not noticed the condition of the water in all the excitement. Narcasse drank it anyway, savoring the bitter taste of ashes mixed with the refreshing liquid.

Afterwards, it was announced that Prince Hirumes had died in the fire, and with King Osiris' death only a month before, Prince Andragoras became King Andragoras, the sixteenth King of Palse.

At King Andragoras' coronation ceremony, the king insisted that all of the palace servants, workers, and nobles swear fealty to him. He commanded this of all the lords in Palse as well, even those who lived elsewhere. And so it came to pass that King Andragoras' coronation ceremony was one of the longest in recorded history.

After waiting half a day to kneel for a mere two minutes with Lord Cheiron in front of the king, Narcasse was finally able to leave. He wandered down the main hall, wondering when Darun's turn would be. He wanted to watch.

Aside from the Prince's room and those adjacent to it, most of the palace had escaped damage from the fire. With sudden realization, Narcasse stopped and looked at one of the large murals in the hallway.

It was a beautiful piece of art. It stretched from one side of the hall to the other, and displayed one of the most famous legends of Palsian history: the battle between the evil snake king, Zahak, and the great Palsian king, Kai Hoslo. At the center of the piece was the mythical sword, Ruknabard, now said to be lost somewhere in Mount Demavont, where the snake king had been sealed. Kai Hoslo here was depicted as a young man with raven black hair and a dazzling smile.

Narcasse admired the painting. The prince's room had been above this area of the hallway, yet the painting was still in tact. Since it's commission by King Derus, the fourteenth King of Palse, and it's creation by Mani, Palse's greatest artist, it had lasted for over two generations of Palsian kings. Narcasse realized that the painting was not affected by King Osiris' death or by the death of Prince Hirumes. Even after Andragoras died, no doubt, the painting would continue to exist.

It was a perfect moment of epiphany. Narcasse stared at the piece, realizing that King Andragoras' coronation did not affect it in the least. Nor did the fire or the passage of time change it. Instead, Kai Hoslo still continued to smile, and the work continued to remind its viewers of his legend.

Narcasse decided that he wanted to paint works of art too.

He did not know how long he stood there, staring at it. Someone greeted him. Startled out of his reverie, Narcasse blinked in surprise and turned to the intruder. It was Darun. Narcasse smiled at him and blinked a few more times, his eyes feeling all too dry from staring.

Darun frowned. "Something wrong?"

Narcasse continued to blink, trying to moisten his eyes. And suddenly they felt too moist. It hit him then: how petty all his problems were, how small everything was, how trivial his worries and fears had been, and how insignificant he was compared to this work of art. How silly it had been for him to be afraid for Darun, when one day they would all die regardless, while the painting would continue to last for generations after they had passed away. It would last until the Palsian civilization ended, as all great civilizations did. He opened his mouth and tried to speak, but found he could not think of the words to convey what he felt. He bit his lip in concentration. Giving up, he simply shook his head and wiped at his eyes with his sleeves. When he was done, he looked back up at his friend.

"How was taking the oath?"

Darun pondered the question before answering. "I swore that I would be loyal to King Andragoras and his heirs. Nothing more than that."

Narcasse nodded, knowing what it meant for Darun to swear loyalty to someone. He had seen evidence of that when they had first met.

Darun stared at him for a moment, looking thoughtful. "You know what, Narcasse? I've decided."

Narcasse gave him a puzzled look. "Decided what?"

Darun grinned. "I decided that if I can swear mywhat was it that Uncle Vaphreze said? ´Everlasting devotion and loyalty' to the king, then I can swear it to people that I care about."

Narcasse did not understand what the other was saying. "Good for you. You do that."

Darun smiled, pleased with himself.

In three year's time, King Andragoras presented his heir, Prince Arslan, to the world.

And although he had already sworn allegiance to King Andragoras before, Darun made another vow of loyalty to Prince Arslan.

* * *

notes: Mani is the artist that Narcasse claimed he was the reincarnation of, when he first introduced himself to Silvermask. 

version 2 also edited by Shrenee. Thanks!


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